MECHANICAL EXTRACTION OF THE FCETUS. 



507 



branches of the lower jaw. Binz soon after proposed a kind of head- 

 collar, or halter, which could be adapted to different-sized heads (Fig. 

 151) : it has a long cord attached, which can be used by assistants to pull 

 at. This halter is held between the thumb and index-finger by its upper 

 part, and passed into the uterus, where it is put over the occiput of the 

 young creature's head, and the sides applied to the cheeks ; the lower 

 portion,"* which was open, is now closed by running the end of the cord 

 through the loop, by which the head is firmly secured, as in the figure 

 (151). Rueff has described two similar halters (Figs. 152, 153) which, 

 having a long cord on each side of the head, must, of course, exercise 

 more direct traction — sometimes an important consideration. 



Binz's halter is made by a cord which has at one end an eyelet or loop, 

 and at a certain distance a loop-knot. When the other end of the cord 

 is passed into the first eyelet, it forms a long semicircle, and when 

 passed through the second, a circle which may be enlarged or decreased 

 at will in pulling at this end. Rueff makes his halter in a similar manner, 

 but instead of having the loop at the very end, it is placed some distance 

 from it ; this of course gives a halter with two lead or traction ropes. 



I 



Fig- 154- 

 Binz's Forceps-band. 



Binz has devised a special head-apparatus (Fig, 154), to which he has 

 given the name of " Forceps-band " {Zangenbtmd). This is a band of 

 flax, silk, or some other woven material, which is at its widest part about 

 four inches broad, and in length it is about six or seven feet. At one 

 end is a moderately large opening, while the other is divided into two 

 portions to within some distance of the loop ; these last pass through a 

 round, movable, cork-shaped piece of wood, metal, or leather. The 

 head of the foetus is passed between the divided ends of this band, which 

 are then tightened behind the jaw by running the keeper close up to the 

 chin, the undivided portion being brought over the forehe,ad towards the 

 nose. In this way powerful and direct traction can be made on the head, 

 above and below, by means of the upper part with the hole at the end, 

 and the two portions beneath. It has been found particularly useful in 

 cases of hydrocephalus. 



Schaack, in 1848, introduced another kind of head apparatus, which he 

 designated a " sliding head-stall " {tetiere a coulanl), but which is perhaps 

 better known in France as a " forceps hTihev'' (licol-forceps),hY reason 

 of its shape and use. It is composed of two doubled cords, one of which 

 (Fig. 155, I, i) forms the head-stall^ while the other (3, 3) makes the nose- 

 band. The two are united by a metallic runner (5), which allows the 

 apparatus to be increased or diminished in size at will. The runner^ 

 which forms the key of the apparatus, is a piece of brass or pewter a little 

 more than an inch in length, about an inch in breadth, and half an inch 

 in thickness. It is perforated by three holes, two of which are parallel 

 and pass through the wider part of the metal, while the third, placed be- 



